Serafina and the Twisted Staff

Robert Beatty has created a compelling sequel that more than lives up to the first book. The action takes off in the first chapter and never really lets up (although Serafina has a few quieter moments they are few and far between). Just as Serafina is coming to terms with her shapeshifting abilities and is trying to figure out where she belongs: Biltmore or the forest. While wandering the forest one night she observes a strange carriage pulled by four wildlike stallion that drops off a strange man and his wolfhounds. She nearly dies when the wolfhounds attack her. Only with the help of her catamount mother and a feral boy does she manage to escape and return to Biltmore. But she is left with concerns about the person in the carriage that she didn't see that is now at Biltmore intending harm. But an awful series of events sends Serafina fleeing into the forest where she discovers that things are even worse than she thought. Only by finding a way to harness her own abilities and rallying her friends to her side can she find a way to defeat the evil that seeks to take over the whole region. The strange behavior of the animals complicates things as does the arrival of a Detective seeking to investigate the disappearance of Mr. Thorne (see book 1). I found the book compelling and fascinating with lots of twists and turns, especially at the end. This is the sort of book that I love to hand to children who like scary/suspenseful stories that are well told and don't follow overdone tropes. The underlying themes of the choices people make, and finding oneś way to peace within and well done and not overly preachy at all. Serafinaś efforts to protect the people and places she loves shines through loud and clear, but her struggles with fear and shame feel very real. A great sequel that I will hand to students with great pleasure.

Serafina and the Twisted Staff is a fabulous book! In my opinion it is even better than the first book, Serafina and the Black Cloak. I love the Biltmore Estate so the setting already had me hooked to the series. I initially ordered the first book last summer because of the connection to the Biltmore Estate. Serafina and the Twisted Staff continues right where the first book leaves off. Serafina is enjoying the thrill of finally having friends and not having to hide from the world when all of the sudden darkness creeps back in to Biltmore and the surrounding area. Serafina has to make tough choices while staying true to herself. A heart warming story of friendship and courage. This book has everything from suspense & action to heart break & love of family. I think this book will captivate all ages of readers. It is part historical fiction, part mystery, and part fantasy. My 13 year old son loved it as much as I did! My son's review...My mother and I are on the SART (Serafina Advanced Readers Team). I am 13 years old and I thought the first book was fantastic. I love to read and I enjoy going to the Biltmore House. Of course, I had to read the book first! Here is my review without spoilers... Serafina and the Twisted Staff is a wonderful book! There are some intense moments right from the beginning. The first two chapters draw you in and you can't stop reading. The story also shows compassion & friendship between both old characters and new ones. My favorite character is Braeden. It has a surprise twist at the very end that I did not expect. I can't wait to read the third installment in the series!

Completely entertaining, Robert Beatty’s “Serafina and the Twisted Staff” combines mystery, suspense, history and drama in a second tale of Serafina, the intriguing girl who lives in the basement at the Biltmore Estate. Beatty weaves a beautiful web of details, many based on the actual history of Biltmore, and re-introduces the reader to an intelligent, brave, imaginative child who expands her horizons, and ours, through her discovery of her real self, her family, her friends, and the world outside the Biltmore Estate. Learning to trust her instincts, while sharpening her battle skills, Serafina proves to herself and her friends that she is smart enough and strong enough to take on the vile creatures who are intent on destroying her world. She learns that she is not alone, but surrounded by family and friends who support her, encourage her, and respect her as she learns to respect their worlds. The scenery is beautifully detailed, descriptions of Biltmore’s lavish interior are compelling, the cast of characters varied and interesting. This is a good book. The story holds the reader’s attention, teaches while it entertains, and leaves us wanting more. Come on, Mr. Beatty, get that third tale finished; we’re hooked! … p.s. I received an Advanced Reading Copy, and pre-ordered my own copy; I’ll be buying the trilogy and introducing others, younger and older, to the exciting adventures of Serafina of Biltmore. [...] Beatty & Co./family have made a couple of intriguing videos to introduce the books.

Great book with a fun storyline. It is fresh and I've never read anything quite like it. My favorite thing is that I was completely comfortable handing it over to my 10 year old daughter to read. It gets a little predictable but the characterization is good and it's fun, easy read. Highly recommend for a young reader.

I found this series last November, my family and I were planning a trip to Biltmore and Serafina and the Black Cloak came up in a search I did looking for books about Biltmore. I read the book straight through in one evening because I could not put it down! The writing/storytelling style took me back to my childhood, when my dad would tell me bedtime stories. Not only was the story thoroughly enjoyable I loved the insight that it gave into the house, reading the book and then touring the house made the story come alive even more. I applied for the SART (Serafina Advanced Reading Team) and was blessed with an advanced copy of the sequel. It's sequel, Serafina and the Twisted Staff took me on a magical journey back to Asheville, NC with characters that I love and a surprise twist that I never saw coming. In Black Cloak, Serafina discovered the mystery of who she was but as you'll read in Twisted Staff, she wasn't quite finished coming into her own. This book combines self-discovery with the power of friendship and the important life lesson of facing your problems and not running away from them. In Twisted Staff Serafina makes new friends, and enemies; meets with disaster and triumphs in the end; finds her own power, and recognizes the power of her friends. Robert Beatty is an absolute master of his craft combining fantasy with reality and fact with fiction. There's never a dull moment, and I truly felt that I was right there in the story and not just a subtle observer.

This review was written by my 10-yr.-old daughter. Serafina and Twisted Staff is a really good book. The Twisted Staff Begins 3 weeks after Serafina defeated the man in the black cloak. If you haven't read the first book (Serafina and the Black Cloak,) consider going to the Biltmore Estate or read about it because both of the books talk about the rooms in Biltmore. I visited Asheville and the Biltmore Estate and it really helped me get into the books because I could picture what things looked like. Other people should read Serafina and the Twisted Staff. It's got one mystery after another. If you like adventure, this book is great for you. My favorite character is Serafina because she is adventurous. I like to go outside a lot, and I can really relate to her. The new characters in the Twisted Staff are a girl named Rowena, a boy named Wasya Fredrick Law Olmstead (designer of Biltmore,) Detective Grathan, a maid named Essie, and the creepy man in the forest. I really hope there is a 3rd book coming soon. Make sure you don't miss Serafina and the Twisted Staff on July 12th! I hope you like it as much as I do. From mom: We received an advanced reader's copy and have a hardback on order. I am donating one of them to my daughter's school. I think these are wonderful books for young girls. Thanks for the opportunity!

"As she tried to envision her future, she realized there were many paths, many different ways to go, and part of growing up, part of living, was choosing which paths to follow." This quote from Serafina and the Twisted Staff reminded me of my father. He used to tell me that we all will come to a cross roads in life and it is up to us to choose which road to travel. Reading Robert Beatty's newest novel, Serafina and the Twisted Staff, was exhilarating! The novel is filled with many twist and turns, along with numerous emotional highs and lows. Just when you think you have it all figured out there is another twist in the plot. As a reader you are quickly drawn in to the book; you will experience many emotions as you travel through this latest journey with Serafina and Braeden. I highly recommend this book to my students, my friends, and especially to my favorite niece Megan who is a serious Serafina fan. I am very appreciative to Robert Beatty for allowing me to serve on the Serafina Advanced Reader Team; it truly was a pleasure reading Serafina and the Twisted Staff. I look forward reading more of Serafina and Braeden's adventures.

Once again, Robert Beatty hooked my students with his Serafina tale! I began reading an advanced copy of Serafina and the Twisted Staff just before school ended for the year. My children were so excited to be able to be a part of a group being allowed to read the book before publication. They had absolutely LOVED Serafina and the Black Cloak and, just as with the first book, they once again anxiously awaited to hear more of the story during our read aloud time each day. They begged me to continue reading at the end of the read aloud time and to add in extra time for Serafina wherever possible as they analyzed the story and made predictions. The lovable characters, enriching vocabulary, exciting scenes and storyline capture the reader's attention and spiral you into a world of elegance, darkness, friendship and mystery. I highly recommend adding both books to your classroom library. Also, check out the wonderful teacher activities and lesson plans on the Serafina website!

The story is well paced and enjoyable. The characters are very well thought out and developed. Unputdownable children's book x

Fantastic book for my daughter!!!

i got this book 2 years a go and got bored at after reading 50 pages but recentely i decided to give it aother try and im so happy i didi the story is amazing. i dont know ehy i ws bored at first but i think everyone should try it escpecially for bedtime storys

I'm a Teacher and this series is definitely one that I would recommend to my students. Fun with lots of action and a few surprises along the way.

Great book and series to read